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F. L. NICHOLS.

MUNITIONS ORGANIZATION.

APPLICATION f|LnJuNE14.1919.

which form a part umTnn sTaTis PATENT onirica.

FRANK L. .'OTICHLS, 0E' STAEFGR, NNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL iMUNITIONS COMANY INC. 0F DELANARE,

MUNTICNS QRGANIZATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

Application Liles Jene la, i919. Serial 210.304,130.

To all 'LU/tom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK L. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Stamford, in the county of Fairield and State or'Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMunitions rganizations, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a novel bomb or grenade thrower embodyingthe'employment of the ordinary service rifle cartridge as a propellingagent to, discharge or throw the bomb.

Referring to the accompanying drawings of this specification:

Figure 1 represents a top View partly in section oit' the bomb thrower.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a detail view to a larger scale.

Fig. 1 showsl the appearance of the cartridge after it has been tired. v

In these drawings 10 represents the central portion oi an Armyrifle,'with trigger 11, channel 12 for ring pin', and'cartridge shellwith-drawing pin 12X. This portion orn the mechanism need notV beparticularly described as it is well known inthe art; suflice it to saythat :from the point 13'to the point 111, with all the partsy inclusive,the `bomb thrower is exactly the same as a regular service rifle; locksand contiguous parts of rifles that have been damaged from one cause oranother can be used for this purpose it desired; this constitutes asalvage and is of value from an economic standpoint; the rifle barrelitselfis done away with. l l

rt the point 13 is provided a screw threaded portion which interm'esheswith the thread 16 of the stock 17, which latter may be of any desiredconstruction; as here engineered this form is suitable, by means of itsend or base piece 18, for bracing the implement against the ground, or atrench wall, `or any other convenient support when the implement is tobe employed. Y

As before stated the ordinary rifle barrel is eliminated, the lock caseproper terminating at the point 14; screwed on to this at 19 is a casing20 enlarged at its outer end 21 and having attached to it, as by a screwjoint 22, the major bore 23 of the implement; the bomb or major missile24: is shown in place, that is to say, in firing position in said majorbore.

It will be noted that below the bomb 24 the bullet tube it side andbetween it andthe inner end of the major bore 23 is a chamber 25 whichis inwardly continued by the smaller chamber 26,' the chambers 25 and 26combine and constitute the explosive, and expanding, chamber for thegases of the functioned cartridge 27.

This cartridge is shown as stated at 27 and is the ordinary servicecartridge of the Army rifle; the bullet or minor missile is shown at 28and after the cartridge has functioned in the chamber 29, the saidbulletpasses into the chambers 26, 25, and from thence through the majormissile, or bomb, 24 as will be explained. The casing 29 is fitted intothe casing 20 and forms, when the n arts are assembled, a close-littingand interlocked member; the casing 29 constitutes the explosive unitchamber or minor missile bore and it isin line with, and to the rear, othe major missile bore 23.

he manner of utilizing the explosive nature of the cartridge is througha by-pass system engineered as follows: At the point 30 is a portextending through the casing 29 and entering a channel 31. This iseffected by boring through the walls of the casing 20 and their throughthe inner wallet' the channel 3-1 and wall of the casing29; 32 affordstemporary means ot entrancev for the boring tool to properly engineerthe port or opening 30; this port is disposed to the rear of the bullet28 when the latter is positioned and the temporary entrance 32 issubsequently permanently sealed by a plug as shown. When the explosivefunctions in the cartridge, it will shear through the side walls of thecartridge shell and the explosive gases will effect a passage throughthe by-pass system that is to say, through the port 30, into the channel3l and from thence to the chamber 25.

When the minor missile, or bullet, 28 is discharged it leaves thecartridge casing, passing' through the chamber 26 into the chamber andfrom this point enters the bulle-t hole of a collapsible sealer 35 andthence through theA bullet tube 36. When the bullet has entered thebullet tube the explosive gases passing through the port 30 and chamber31 have arrived in the chamber 25 resulting in the crushing of thecollapsible sealer 35. Before the bullet leaves swipes they primer 37.By referring to Fig, 3, the parts are shown yam thereby enabledftodelivera sharper inisl in position ready for firing. 'The shell orenvelop 33 of the cartridge covers the port or opening 30, seals it infact, so long as the cartridge is not functioned;Y when, how- 5 ever,the Ycartridge functions, the explosive force of the gases contained, orgenerated' in thecartridgefwill shear through the envelop fat., vandin,.th e xarea registering with 'the port 30, and ypermit the explosivegases 10 te enter directly into the channel vSil, and

from theiiceinto the chamber 25'; this spera- .tion` will cause theexpulsion Y:of the major missile.

As will be seen from the foregoing the 1 5 minor missile or propelling`unit coordinates 'with va breech lpading'mechanism while the Amajorv:missile is--loaded from the muzzle; 'it will also be seen that thebores and the inissifles are l*centrally Ialined.

gases, through and bymeans rfa side thrust, yor-,1a :bur-st .sidew'iseofa portion lof the shell bod-ygorexplosivecontainrnof the cartridgepermits mev tr-combust more quickly and Y tial blow fuponfthe base ofthe vmajor missile this lsharp initial blow-is ofg-reajt value'ow-"ing-tothe lsliortness of the major missile i' bore; it reslilts in anincreased range.

I claim: 5

l. A mnnition organization embodyingk alined majorjand minor missilebores, major and in-inor missile units, means for'functieni g theexplosive powder of the miner lmissile junit by' a A s'idew-ise burst ofits conif tammy means 'for conveyll'g the 'resultant explosive Igases tothe baise of the major kmissile and-simultaneously ldischarging theminor missile.

2. An organization embodying alined major andmn'or bores, a majormissile, a service cartridge, .means for functioning the cartridgeandrfthereupon thrusting a portion yof the cartridge shell body aside?and perto escape and means for conveying said? gases to the base ofthemajor missile. y

3. A'mmi'ition organization embodying a muzzle loadingmajor missile boreand a 5o breech loading minor-missile bore, said bores The lateralmovement Yofthe explosive being` in alinement, a major missile, aservive cartridge positioned in theminor missile bore, and means foreffecting lateral rupture of the cartridge shell.

Y 4L. A. munitie-n organization'embodying a breech loading.: explosiveunit chamber, a muzzle; loading major missile bore positioned in frontof and directly in line there with, a by-pass channel having a port inthe chambery and connecting said chamber to the base of said bore,an'explo-sive unit having a container for closing the port, and meansfor functioning saidexplosive Vunit and opening said by-pass by shearingits container'. i s

5. munition organization embodying :e minor missilehamber, a majorinissilefbore f rpositioned in front and directly in line therewith, aby-pass connecting said chamber to the base of said bore,Y andaserviceeartridgc so disposed in the minor missile chamber as lto .closethe port of the by-pass and to position' the bullet ofthe cartridge tothe fore ef the port, whereby when thercartri( fe functions' theexplosive lgases will shear through the `cartridge ycase into the saidbypass. Y Y

6. A munition olganization embodying a minor missile chamber, a minormissile'having Yan lexplosive centainer, a major missile bore positioned`in front and directly in line therewith, a major missile, a channelextending rearwardly froni said bore, a bypass connecting sai-d channelwith the minor missile chamber at a vpoint to the rear of the bulletwhen positioned therein, whereby missile.

FRANK L. NCHOJS.

